Filing device



Sept. 27, 1949. l R. L. I -IECKERT 2,433,046 FILING DEVICE Filed April 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k "I 1" II w 1 WW" "Wm Inventor By @Mm Patented Sept. 27, 1949 tJNlTED STATES PATENT OFF ICE FILING DEVICE Raymond L. Heckert, Hagerstown, Md.

Application April 26, 1945, Serial No. 590,465

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for use in filing legal and other papers, and particularly to such a device in which an envelope for receivin the papers is removably suspended from an overhead support.

An important object of the invention is to provide a filing device of the above kind embodying a hanger carried by the envelope and coacting with an overhead support in such manner that gravitation of the envelope causes interlocking engagement of the hanger with the support so that accidental dislodgment of the envelope from the support is effectively prevented, although its intentional removal from the support for access to the papers may be readily efiected.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a filing device of the above kind, an improved and efficient overhead support.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a filing device of the above kind, a novel and efi'icient hanger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a filing device of the above kind in which the hanger and the overhead support are of simple and durable construction, capable of ready and economical manufacture, and otherwise adapted to meet with the requirements for a successful commercial use.

The exact nature of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a filing device constructed in accordance with the present invention and operatively mounted within a case which is shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view, partly broken away and in section, of the overhead support forming part of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the hanger.

Figure 6 is a vertical section through one of the envelopes and its hanger and taken on line 66 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present filing device is shown operatively mounted within a suitable filing case 5 havin top, bottom, end and rear walls, and open at the front. The invention includes a hanger A which is shown applied to a filing envelope B, and an overhead support C with which the hanger cooperates for removably suspending the envelope B within the filing case 5.

The filing envelope B is shown as comprising a body portion 6 having a pocket 1 for reception of the papers to be filed, and a flap 3 for closing the pocket. The pocket I terminates well below the upper edges of the body and the closure flap.

The hanger A comprises an elongated strip of sheet metal centrally return bent or folded at 9 along its longitudinal center to provide spaced portions 10 and II for snu reception of the upper edge portion of the envelope and a spacing or filler strip l2 which acts as a reinforcement and is disposed between the adjacent upper edge portions of the body 6 and flap 8. The portions 10 and II of the hanger are brought into clamping relation with the envelope and the filler strip l2, and rivets l3, or the like, are provided for securing the hanger to the envelope. As shown, the rivets pass through the portions l0 and II and the filler strip I2 adjacent the ends of the hanger. As shown clearly in Figures 2 and 5, the hanger has a notch M in the upper edge thereof and near the forward end of the same, and a downwardly and forwardly extending slot I5 in the rear end portion thereof. Slot 1 5 opens at its rear end through the upper edge of the hanger and terminates at its forward end in an upward enlargement Hi. In practice, the hanger is applied to the envelope nearer the forward end of the latter than the rear end thereof so that the forward end of the slot I5 is located forwardly of the vertical center of gravity of the envelope, which center is denoted b the dotted lines at I1 in Figure 2.

The overhead support C comprises a pair of similar fiat bracket plates l8 apertured at IQ for reception of screws 20, or the like, whereby the bracket plates may be flatly secured against the inner surfaces of the end walls of the case 5 adjacent the top and front of the latter. These bracket plates are rigidly connected by spaced front and rear supporting elements D and D, each comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods 2| and 22 whose ends are riveted or otherwise rigidly anchored to the bracket plates l8, as indicated at 23 in Figure 3. It will be noted that the rod 2| of each supporting element is located rearwardly of and above the associated rod 22. An elongated sheet metal strip 24 of right angular form in cross section has its longitudinal margins respectively rolled about the rods 2| and 22, as at 25. Thus, the rods 2| and 22 of each supporting element are efiectively braced against bending strains. It will be noted that the reinforcing strip 24 of the rear supporting element D is disposed to provide a lower forwardly projecting portion rolled about the lower forward rod 22 and a rear upwardly projecting portion rolled about the rear upper rod 2|. On the other hand, the reinforcing strip 24 of the forward supporting element D is arranged so that it has an upper rearwardly extending portion rolled about the rear upper rod 21 and a depending forward portion rolled about the forward lower rod 22. In addition, the rear supporting element D is arranged so that its rod 22 is located at a lower level than the corresponding rod 22 of the forward supporting element D, and the upper rod 2| of element D is located at a lower level than the upper rod 2| of the element D. The arrangement is such that when the rod 22 and the adjacent rolled edge '25 of the strip 24 of the rear supporting element D is disposed in the upward enlargement I6 of slot 15, the lower rod 22 and the associated rolled edge of strip 24 of the forward supporting element D is disposed to seat in the notch M.

In using the filing device, the envelope with its hanger is disposed vertically but tilted downwardly at its forward end, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. The envelope is then inserted in the case so as to cause the lower rod 22 of V the rear element D to enter and pass forwardly in the slot l until the notch M of the hanger is disposed directly beneath the rod 22 of the element D and the rod 22 of the element D is disposed directly below the enlargement it of slot I5. The envelope is then released so that it will gravitate to the full line position of Figure 2, the forward end of the envelope rising so as to cause seating engagement of rod 22 of element D in notch l4 after the rod 22 of element D has seated in the enlargement IS, the envelope rocking about the fulcrum afforded by the engagement of rod 22 of element D in said enlargement IS. A mere reversal of this operation is required for removal of the envelope when access to the papers therein is desired. However, when the envelope is operatively engaged with the overhead support, its hanger A is effectively interlocked with said support so as to prevent accidental dislodgment of the envelope from its properly suspended position. In practice, the elements D and D of the overhead support aremade of the required length to extend from end to end of the filing case so that a plurality of envelopes may be filed in the latter in side-by-side relation with the hangers of the envelopes engaged with the overhead support. When the envelopes are so suspended, they may be readily slid laterally on the elements D and D so as to compact them and make room for additional envelopes, if

desired. I

From the foregoing description, the construction, manner of use and advantages of the present 4. invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Minor changes may be made in details of construction illustrated and described, such as fall within the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a filing device including a receptacle hanger having a notch in its upper edge and a downwardly and horizontally extending slot opening through its upper edge in spaced relation to said notch, an overhead support for said hanger 7 comprising spaced parallel front and rear supporting elements of elongated form, brackets fixed to the ends of said supporting elements to mount the latter so that they extend transversely of the hanger for removably and slidably suspending the latter, each supporting element comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods and a reinforcing strip of angular form in cross section having its longitudinal edges respectivelyrolled about said rods substantially from end to end of the latter.

2. In a filing device including a receptacle hanger having a notch in its upper edge and a downwardly and horizontally extending slot opening through its upper edge in spaced relation to said notch, an overhead support for said hanger comprising spaced parallel front and rear supporting elements of elongated form, brackets fixed to the ends of said supporting elements to mount the latter so that they extend transversely of the hanger for removab'ly andslidably suspending the latter, each supporting element comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods and a reinforcstrip of angular form in cross section having its longitudinal edges respectively rolled about said rods substantially from end to end of the latter, the rods of the rear supporting element being located at a lower level than the corresponding rods of the front supporting element.-

RAYMOND L. I-IECKERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STAES PATENIS Number Name Date 1,099,665 Porter Innis-"ruch- June 9, 191 1,128,324 Jones 1 Feb.- 16, 1915 1,131,765 Wilt 1 Mar. 16, 1915 1,194,536 Oliver Aug. 15, 1916 1,428,554 Osterweil I Sept. 12, 1922 1,768,543 Clausing in-I- July 1, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 364,696 Germany -I- r 1922 57 1,56? France .1 I. 1924 613,566 Germany 1.16%.. 1935 671,783 Ger-many r 1939 752,881 France -1 1933 

